Vehicle drying system

Abstract

An attachment assembly to convert an existing leaf blower into a device for drying vehicles. The attachment assembly includes several interchangeable modular sections, including an adapter section configured to attach to the air outlet of an existing commercial leaf blower. Other sections include air outlet nozzle sections, an extender section, and a weighted section. The inlet side of the nozzle sections, extender section, and weighted section as well as the outlet sides of the adapter section, extender section, and weighted section are uniform so that any of the outlets may be mated with any of the inlets. This allows any configuration of sections desired to be achieved. The adapter section may have a filter placed in the air stream to prevent debris from being blown into the vehicle and damaging the exterior of the vehicle.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An adapter for use in drying a vehicle and configured to mate with a tubular air outlet of a cordless hand-held blower, comprising:
 a non-flexible tubular body having first end and a second end spaced from the first end, the body having: 
 a first cylindrical section having a first inner diameter extending from the first end of the non-flexible tubular body toward the second end of the non-flexible tubular body, the first cylindrical section having a first end and a second end; 
 a first tapered section extending from the second end of the first cylindrical section toward the second end of the non-flexible tubular body, the first tapered section having a first end and a second end, the first end of the first tapered section aligned with the second end of the first cylindrical section; 
 a second cylindrical section extending from the second end of the first tapered section toward the second end of the non-flexible tubular body, the second cylindrical section having a first end and a second end, the first end of the second cylindrical section aligned with the second end of the first tapered section, the second cylindrical section having a second inner diameter that is different from the first diameter of the first cylindrical section; and 
 a second tapered section extending from the second end of the second cylindrical section toward the second end of the non-flexible tubular body, the second tapered section having a first end and a second end, the second end of the second tapered section defining the second end of the non-flexible tubular body. 
 
     
     
       2. The adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the first inner diameter of the first cylindrical section is larger than the second inner diameter of the second cylindrical section. 
     
     
       3. The adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the first tapered section has an inner surface defining an inner diameter of the first tapered section, and wherein the inner diameter of the inner surface of the first tapered section decreases from the first end of the first tapered section to the second end of the first tapered section. 
     
     
       4. The adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the second tapered section has an inner surface defining an inner diameter of the second tapered section, and wherein the inner diameter of the inner surface of the second tapered section decreases from the first end of the second tapered section to the second end of the second tapered section. 
     
     
       5. The adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the first cylindrical section further comprises an inner surface configured to overfit the tubular outlet of the cordless hand-held blower. 
     
     
       6. The adapter of  claim 5 , wherein the inner surface of the first cylindrical section overlaps the tubular air outlet of the cordless hand-held blower between 3 and 5 inches. 
     
     
       7. The adapter of  claim 5 , where the first cylindrical section comprises a clip configured to engage an attachment feature of the cordless hand-held blower. 
     
     
       8. The adapter of  claim 1 , wherein the second tapered section comprises an exterior side surface, and a soft safety member is positioned over at least a portion of the exterior side surface of the second tapered section proximate the second end of the second tapered section. 
     
     
       9. The adapter of  claim 8 , wherein the soft safety member frictionally engages the exterior side surface of the second tapered section. 
     
     
       10. The adapter of  claim 8 , wherein the second end of the non-flexible tubular body comprises an exterior end surface different from the exterior side surface, and the soft safety member overlaps the exterior end surface of the non-flexible tubular body. 
     
     
       11. A vehicle drying assembly configured to mate with a tubular air outlet of a cordless hand-held blower, comprising:
 a non-flexible tubular adapter comprising:
 a first end and a second end, the first end having an air inlet and the second end having an air outlet, the air inlet configured to fit over an exterior surface of the cordless hand-held blower air outlet, and at least one first attachment member configured to engage a first attachment feature of the cordless hand-held blower, the first end and the second end defining a longitudinal dimension of the non-flexible tubular adapter; 
 a first body section incorporating the air inlet and extending toward the second end, the first body section having a first inner surface defining a first air pathway, the inner surface forming a cylinder with a constant diameter; 
 a second body section incorporating the air outlet and extending from the air outlet toward the first end, the second body section having a second inner surface defining a second air pathway, wherein the diameter of the second air pathway defined by the second inner surface increases from the air outlet and moving toward the first end, the air outlet defining a nozzle opening; and, 
 a soft safety tip disposed around the nozzle opening. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The vehicle drying assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising;
 a third body section having a third inner surface forming a third air pathway, the third air pathway having a first end and a second end, the first end of the third air pathway in fluid communication with the first air pathway, the third body section extending longitudinally from the first body section toward the second end of the non-flexible tubular adapter, wherein the diameter of the third air pathway defined by the third inner surface decreases along the longitudinal dimension from the first end of the third body section to the second end of the third body section; and 
 a fourth body section having a fourth inner surface forming a fourth air pathway, the fourth inner surface forming a cylinder with a constant diameter, the fourth pathway having a first end and a second end, the first end of the fourth pathway in fluid communication with the second end of the third air pathway and the second end of the fourth air pathway in fluid communication with the second air pathway. 
 
     
     
       13. The vehicle drying assembly of  claim 12 :
 wherein the first and third body sections are formed and as a single unitary first component and the second and fourth body sections are formed as a single unitary second component separate from the first component; 
 wherein the third body section has a first attachment collar and a second attachment feature proximate the second end of the third body section; and 
 wherein the fourth body section has a second attachment collar configured to fit over the first attachment collar and a second attachment member configured to engage the second attachment feature when the second attachment collar fits over the first attachment collar. 
 
     
     
       14. The vehicle drying assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the second body section comprises an exterior side surface proximate the nozzle opening and the soft safety tip frictionally engages the exterior side surface. 
     
     
       15. The vehicle drying assembly of  claim 14 , wherein the nozzle opening comprises an exterior end surface generally perpendicular to the exterior side surface, and the soft safety tip overlaps the exterior end surface. 
     
     
       16. The vehicle drying assembly of  claim 11 , further comprising a second attachment feature disposed on an exterior surface of the non-flexible tubular adapter and configured to engage with a second attachment feature associated with a separate second component of a vehicle drying assembly. 
     
     
       17. The vehicle drying assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the attachment feature comprises a raised edge or a notch and the attachment member comprises a spring biased clip configured to engage the raised edge or notch. 
     
     
       18. The vehicle drying assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the longitudinal length of the non-flexible tubular adapter from the first end to the second end is 4 to 18.5 inches. 
     
     
       19. The vehicle drying assembly of  claim 11 , wherein the first body section has a longitudinal dimension of at least 0.5 inches extending from the air inlet and moving toward the second end. 
     
     
       20. A vehicle drying assembly configured to mate with a tubular air outlet of a cordless hand-held blower, comprising:
 a non-flexible tubular adapter comprising:
 a first end and a second end, the first end having an air inlet and the second end having an air outlet, the first end and the second end defining a longitudinal dimension of the non-flexible tubular adapter; 
 a first body section incorporating the air inlet and having a first inner surface defining a first air pathway, the inner surface forming a cylinder with a first constant diameter and a second inner surface longitudinally spaced from the first inner surface, the second inner surface having either a second constant diameter of a dimension less than the first constant diameter or a taper that decreases in diameter in a direction toward the second end, the first inner surface configured to fit over an exterior surface of the cordless blower air outlet, having at least one first attachment member configured to engage a first attachment feature of the cordless hand-held blower; 
 a second body section incorporating the air outlet, the second body section having a second inner surface defining a second air pathway, the second body section having at least one second attachment feature configured to engage a second attachment member, wherein the second air pathway is in communication with the first air pathway and the diameter of the second air pathway defined by the second inner surface increases starting at the air outlet and moving longitudinally toward the air inlet, and a soft safety tip disposed around the air outlet. 
 
 
     
     
       21. The vehicle drying assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the longitudinal length of the non-flexible tubular adapter from the first end to the second end is 4 to 18.5 inches. 
     
     
       22. The vehicle drying assembly of  claim 20 , wherein the first and second attachment feature comprises a raised edge or a notch and the first attachment member comprises a spring biased clip.